Board and Card Games. Usually more of a group thing, board and card games are a fabulous way to have fun when the weather isn’t cooperating. If you are willing to spend a little money, start the night by picking and buying a new game from the store.

Bookworm Date. Visiting local book stores can be a perfect way to spend a cold day.  Browsing through different book titles can help you get to know each others interests while also providing amusement and enlightening on different subjects.   Finish the night by stopping at the Cocoa bean on your way home!

Do a Puzzle: Puzzles are a fun, low key and creative way to get to know a person. Be ready with things to talk about, sitting in silence can be rather awkward!

Go bowling. Bowling is a great way to get to know someone in a fun low pressure environment. There is no shame in putting up the bumpers if you are a little rusty!

Home Cooked Goodness!: Impress your date with your awesome cooking skills! Spend the night buying, cooking and eating dinner together at one of your apartments. Get creative with it for example try eating with no utensils, or spaghetti without plates. Post your own successes and ideas in the comment section.  Don’t forget desert!

Have an Indoor Picnic: Lay a blanket in the living room and have a basket full of fun picnic foods. Come up with different ideas on how to make the room appear like summer.

Craft Fair: Doing Crafts are an excellent way to stay entertained when you don’t want to be outside. Bust out the crayons, markers, finger paints, glue and paper and other critical supplies as you create your masterpieces.   As long as everyone involved is having a good time, it really doesn’t matter what you do or make.  A great site for unique craft ideas is Craftster.org. You might try visiting an art gallery to compare.

Visit a Museum or Art Gallery: Looking at art can be a fun yet relaxing date. This can be expecially good if one or both of you knows a little about art and the humanities. Spend the night teaching each other about the different things you see.

Have a Photo Shoot: Put on the most ridiculous clothes you can find, then take time taking pictures of it. This can be especially fun at Desseret Industries or Goodwill. After you take the pictures have fun enhancing them using Photoshop or similar software. Post your pictures on facebook or another blog.

Go to a play or other live performance: Almost everywhere you visit you can find live performing arts. A relaxing way to enjoy yourself as someone else provides the entertainment!

Game Overview

Do you like being sneaky?

Here’s a game that will keep you entertained…

A group is on a park playground. The person that is “it” keeps their eyes closed. The three others try not to get tagged. If you aren’t it, you have to be sneaky like a ninja!

It’s fun to get close to the person that’s “it” and sneak past them. But watch out, if they hear you….

… you may be toast!

Where to Play

Rexburg’s Park Playgrounds:

• Porter Park
• Smith Park
• Elementary Schools

How to Play

1.)   4 or more people is best…

2.)   The person who’s “it” has to keep their eyes closed and try to tag the others

3.)   Those who aren’t “it” try to not get tagged

4.)   Once someone gets tagged, they become “it”

It’s more fun if you try to sneak by the person who is “it”! It brings out your inner ninja.

This is a great game for double dates, groups, and families. It’s active, social, and fun (if you are willing to get into it). You can play it outside during the winter or the summer.

Imagine trying to quickly fetch a ball faster than your competitor. Oh yeah… there’s one catch… you’re blind : )

You have to fetch the ball quickest, but you have to close your eyes. The only guidance you have is your partners verbal directions. So I hope you’re a good listener…

Where to Play

You can play “Blind Fetch” anywhere in Rexburg that is wide open. Ideal places include: city parks, baseball fields, and football fields.

How to Play

1.)   Blind Fetch requires at least 4 people to play.

2.)   Two people to a team (There can be more than 2 teams if desired)

3.)   The “Fetchers” (one from each team) FIRST close their eyes

4.)   THEN the ball or frisbee is thrown out a distance (30 yards or so) by any player that still has their eyes open.

5.)   Next, the count down from 5 to 0

6.)   At 0 the goal is to for each team to work together and fetch the ball first.

7.)   The blind person has to remain blind and should be led to the ball ONLY by verbal directions from his or her partner.

8.)   First team to fetch the ball and return to the starting point (always remaining blind) wins!

Overview

Directions

1. Snow shoeing
2. Go Sledding or Tubing
3. Build an Igloo
4. Sleigh rides
5. Cross Country Skiing
6. Ski or Snowboard
7. Snow Angels
8. Put Out Bird Seed for the Winter Birds
9. Haunted Houses or a Corn Maze (more of a Halloween thing)
10. Snowmobiling
11. Back Country Skiing
12. Snow Camping (Try it in a Cave)
13. Have a winter picnic. Bring a warm sandwich and cookies in an insulated bag , cocoa and hot soup in a soup thermos. Take blankets or sleeping bags to sit on.
14. Go Look at Christmas Lights
15. Snowball fight
16. Polarbear Swim (BRRRRR)
17. YellowStone National Park (Most parts you will probably need Snowmobiles)
18. Cut Out Paper Snowflakes
19. Ice Skating
20. Billards
21. Bowling

Overview

The Civil Defense caves are large tubes formed from lava that snake underground for thousands of feet. Because of the insulating qualities of Lava, the interior of caves are cold, even on the hottest days of the summer.

It’s really fun to explore. The caves vary from 50 feet high to areas that you need to crawl through.

Direction

The first right off North Salem Road (which is is about 16.8 miles this is also the North Rexburg exit, from the I-20 interstate at N 44°06.273′ W 111°48.285′.

The next turn, a left turn, is about 3.7 miles from the first turn off and is located at N 44°08.656′ W 111°45.803′.

Go one more mile or 4.7 miles from the main road and you will arrive at the cave. N 44°09.326′ W 111°46.551′.

You will need…

• A jacket
• good footwear
• flashlights or head lamps (with extra batteries)
• To be mindful and remember the path you take in so you can backtrack and get out (which isn’t hard, but it’s worth pointing out…)

You may want…

• A snow hat or beanie
• Gloves – the rock can be rough
• Glow sticks (for fun and for back up)
• A camera

Overview:

This is a “get to know ya game” that is ideal for group settings.  It is very creative and only requires other people to play. (It’s also fun with friends and family)

Places to Play

This is normally an indoor game, but a creative group could try it outside, camping, even in a car.

How to Play:

It’s REALLY easy to learn…

1.) Begin with everyone sitting in a circle and putting all ten fingers on the floor.

2.) Then, one by one each person in the group says something that they have never done. For example, the first person would start out by saying something like “Never have I ever been to Idaho Falls.”

3.) At that point anyone who has been to Idaho Falls would remove a finger from the circle.

4.) The next person in the circle continues with their own “Never have I Ever” and so on.

The object of the game is to be the last one in the circle.

Remember that the idea is to stay in the game the longest (good strategy is to say things that you’ve never done but that most other people maybe have). This makes for a fun and humerous way to get to know other people…

Played before? What did you think? Leave a comment below…

If you haven’t played before,  try it! Come back and let us know what you think… or share other games that are fun to play.

Bridge jumping right by monkey rock!

Overview

Have you have ever wanted to play in a waterfall? If so,  Monkey rock is the place. It’s not a large cascade, but this little lagoon style location is perfect for a summer swim and hang out. You can swim around in the lagoon or up explore up behind the waterfall. In the summer the water temperature is just right. Just get in and get used to it!

When you go, make sure you walk under and behind the falls. It’s a rush to have that much water rush over you… Depending on the water level the falls might be bigger or smaller.

CAUTION: Be careful around the little concrete “water slide” up top where the canal feed the waterfall. At the bottom of the slide is little rapid or “hydraulic” which is unassuming, but is surprisingly powerful. It’s been known to give quite a few people a scare. What it will do is sweep our feet out from underneath you and roll you.

SAFETY TIPS:

1. Don’t be scared of it, just take a second to understand it and you’ll have nothing to fear… And don’t be the idiot that thinks he’s stronger than it.
2. Know your ability level
3. Always have some else up there with you, and
4. Have a good time!

If you get tired of playing around the falls, you can walk down the street and jump off of the bridge. It’s high enough to give a thrill, but not so high that it is very dangerous. Be careful and wise at both spots and you will have an enjoyable time.

Directions

You Will Need…

• Sandals / water shoes: The lagoon floor is pretty rocky
• Towels
• Sunscreen

You May Want…

• Snorkel mask
• Camera
• Lunch: It’s a great place to picnic…
• Nun-chucks,  naturally… right?

Overview

Not to be mistaken with the Civil Defense Caves (which are near by) , the Ice Caves are about 45 minutes outside of Rexburg. The Ice Caves (also known as the Lava Tube Caves) were originally formed as lava tubes. Over the years they have maintained fairly cold temperatures and as moisture and water seeped in it froze. The ice now remains frozen year round and makes for a wonderful adventure. There are two different sets of caves, fairly close to each other in the middle of the desert.  Both sets of caves are a few hundred yards deep and require good footwear, warm clothes and a flashlight to navigate.

Directions

The turn off is just about 25 miles past walmart or 14.5 miles past the sand dunes RV camp place. You will drive over a metal cattle guard. (A big grated metal thing that crosses the road.)

Immediately after the third cattle guard there is a dirt road turnoff to the right. This turnoff goes diagonally northeast. There is another turn-off that connects with the first one about 200 yards down the road that is pretty much parallel to the main road (There is a 3rd dirt road past the first two….it doesn’t lead to the ice caves).

Continue on the dirt road (for which a not going faster than 10-15 mph for about 30 minutes. You will feel like you have probably passed the caves, but just when you are about to turn around the road forks completely.

Take the right fork, but drive slowly… you could very well drive right into the gigantic hole in the ground. Climb down into the hole and you should see the cave entrance.
Special thanks to Alyson for these directions. (www.rexburgic.com)

You will need…

• Flashlight
• Good hiking/tennis shoes
• Warm clothes: Sweatshirt, long underwear, jacket, gloves, beanie/snow cap.

You may want…

• Glow Sticks: It’s fun to brake them open and sprinkle the glow goo around and play “hide and go seek”. Please remember to bring a bag and pack your trash out.
• Energy Food: It’s a fun place to have a snack… and you’ll probably need one.
• Camera: (Hint- for need photos, increase your shutter speed to 1 second or more. Then email SpiffyList your photos! We’ll post ‘em.)